Disengageable device for sharpening a vibrating blade of a cutting head for a cutting machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a disengageable device (2) for sharpening a vibrating blade of a cutting head for a cutting machine, comprising a rotary sharpening member (4a, 4b) intended to come into contact with a cutting edge of a vibrating blade of the cutting head, a stationary drive shaft (8) for rotating the sharpening member, a rotary actuator (14) for pivoting the sharpening member relative to the vertical axis (X-X) of the drive shaft between a sharpening position in which the sharpening member comes into contact with a cutting edge of the vibrating blade, and a rest position, in which the sharpening member is angularly spaced apart from the vibrating blade, and disengagement means (18, 20) for decoupling the sharpening member from the rotary actuator so as to allow the sharpening member to pivot into a disengaged position, in which the sharpening member is angularly spaced apart from the vibrating blade and oriented outward from the cutting head.

Description

Description Title of the invention: Disengageable device for sharpening a vibrating blade of a cutting head for a cutting machine Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the general field of automatic cutting by a vibrating blade of a mattress of flexible material placed on a cutting table and in the form of a stack of plies. It relates more specifically to a device for sharpening the vibrating blade equipping the cutting head of such a cutting machine.

[0002] One field of application of the invention is that of the automatic cutting of parts in a flexible textile or non-textile material (such as leather), in particular in the clothing, furniture or automotive upholstery industry. Prior art

[0003] A known method for automatically cutting parts from a flexible material consists of bringing the material onto a fixed or mobile cutting support of the cutting table, in the form of a stack of plies forming a mattress, and cutting the parts by means of a cutting head moving above the cutting support of the table according to a previously defined placement program.

[0004] Typically, the cutting head of such a machine consists of a steel blade that vibrates vertically along the direction of its cutting edge to cut the material. A rotating blade guide acts as a slide for the blade and ensures its rotation.

[0005] It is also known that the cutting blade loses its sharpness as the cutting operation progresses, so it is necessary to regularly carry out sharpening operations on its cutting edge.

[0006] For this purpose, the cutting head can be equipped with an automatic sharpening system consisting of two or three abrasive belts. When a sharpening operation is triggered, the blade rises and the abrasive belts of the sharpening system sharpen both sides of the blade's cutting edge in order to reform its edge.

[0007] These sharpening operations are generally periodic and distributed linearly over time throughout the life of the blade, regardless of the actual condition of its cutting edge.

[0008] In practice, the sharpening systems known from the prior art are composed of a linear cylinder which is coupled to the rotary drive shaft of the sharpening strips by means of ball joints to move the sharpening strips from a sharpening position in which they come into contact with the cutting edge of the blade, and a rest position in which they are angularly spaced from the blade.

[0009] This type of sharpening system has many disadvantages. In particular, such a mechanism with a linear actuator and ball joints generates friction and / or alterations that cause instability of the initial settings during initial assembly or over time. This results in disparity in operation and adjustment, making it impossible to apply a default setting of the mechanism at the factory, as well as detrimental variability in sharpening quality.

[0010] Furthermore, the mechanism's linear actuator, due to its size and design, requires preventive maintenance every 500 or 1000 hours (depending on the intensity of use) and its positioning requires delicate intervention in confined spaces. In addition, the actuator rod is subject to significant pollution (sharpening dust), which greatly reduces its operation.

[0011] In terms of adjustment, the mechanism's linear actuator is located in a very confined area. Also, access to this part and to the flow regulator for varying the sharpener arm speeds are tricky and require long minutes of adjustment. In addition, the adjustment area is located close to the blade. cutting, which may cause injury to the technician when adjusting the mechanism.

[0012] In terms of use, the limited range of motion of the sharpener arm makes changing sharpening belts tricky, especially when there is additional equipment on board the cutting head of the cutting machine. Statement of the invention

[0013] The present invention therefore aims to propose a device for sharpening a blade which does not have the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0014] According to the invention, this aim is achieved by means of a disengageable device for sharpening a vibrating blade of a cutting head for a cutting machine, comprising: - at least one rotary sharpening member intended to come into contact with at least one cutting edge of a vibrating blade of the cutting head; - a fixed shaft for driving the sharpening member in rotation having an axis which is mounted vertically on the cutting head; - a rotary cylinder for pivoting the sharpening member about the vertical axis of the drive shaft between a sharpening position in which the sharpening member comes into contact with a cutting edge of the vibrating blade, and a rest position in which the sharpening member is angularly spaced from the vibrating blade; and - means for disengaging the sharpening member to decouple it from the rotary cylinder so as to allow the sharpening member to pivot into a disengaged position different from the sharpening and rest positions and in which the sharpening member is angularly spaced from the vibrating blade towards the outside of the cutting head.

[0015] The device according to the invention is remarkable in particular due to the use of a rotary jack to pivot the sharpening member towards its position sharpening. This system has a long service life (more than 2000 hours) and high precision in the settings, which improves the sharpening quality and its repeatability from one device to another.

[0016] The device according to the invention is also remarkable in that it comprises means for disengaging the sharpening member in order to place it in a position allowing easy and safe access to the sharpening member (for its maintenance) and to the vibrating blade. The risks of trapping or burning the operator's fingers are considerably reduced.

[0017] The rotary cylinder can be coupled to a first toothed wheel meshing with a second toothed wheel carried by the drive shaft of the sharpening member and centered on the vertical axis thereof.

[0018] In this case, the first toothed wheel is advantageously capable of being manually decoupled from the second toothed wheel in order to disengage the sharpening member from the rotary jack.

[0019] The first gear wheel may be mounted on a disc slidable vertically along a drive shaft of the rotary actuator between a lowered position in which it engages the second gear wheel and a raised position in which it is decoupled from the second gear wheel.

[0020] The disc can be held in its lower position by a spring centered on the drive shaft of the rotary cylinder.

[0021] Preferably, the first and second toothed wheels each comprise a tooth forming a key.

[0022] In one embodiment, the sharpening member comprises at least one sharpening belt mounted between the drive shaft of the sharpening member and a roller.

[0023] In another embodiment, the sharpening member comprises at least one sharpening wheel rotated by the drive shaft of the sharpening member.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment, the device further comprises means for locking the angle formed between the rotary cylinder and the drive shaft of the sharpening member.

[0025] The device may further comprise a clutch stop to facilitate the engagement of the sharpening member with the rotary cylinder.

[0026] The invention also relates to a cutting head for a cutting machine comprising a vibrating blade capable of being set into vibration in a vertical direction to cut a stack of plies of a flexible material, and a disengageable device as defined previously for sharpening the vibrating blade.

[0027] The invention also relates to a cutting machine comprising such a cutting head. Brief description of the drawings

[0028] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a disengageable device according to the invention.

[0029] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the device according to the invention mounted on a cutting head in its rest position.

[0030] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the device according to the invention mounted on a cutting head in its sharpening position.

[0031] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the device of Figure 1 in its disengaged position.

[0032] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the device according to the invention mounted on a cutting head in which the sharpening strips are angularly spaced from the vibrating blade towards the outside of the cutting head.

[0033] [Fig. 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a device according to a variant of the invention. Description of the embodiments

[0034] The invention applies to the automated cutting of parts in a flexible material in the form of a stack of plies.

[0035] Such a cutting operation is generally carried out using a cutting machine equipped with a horizontal cutting support onto which the flexible material to be cut is fed.

[0036] A cutting head carrying a vibrating blade is mounted on a gantry which is made to move along the cutting support while the cutting head simultaneously moves along the gantry so that it can follow the different cutting paths calculated by cutting software.

[0037] Typically, a presser foot is mounted on the lower part of the cutting head in order to press the soft material against its cutting support with a controlled force during cutting, the position of this presser foot being adaptable according to the height of the mattress placed on the cutting support. Thus, the presser foot allows the cutting blade to be guided as close as possible to the mattress.

[0038] The invention relates to a device for automatically and periodically sharpening the vibrating blade of the cutting head.

[0039] This device 2 is notably shown in figures 1 to 3 and is mounted on the cutting head T in the immediate vicinity of the presser foot P and the vibrating blade L thereof.

[0040] The device 2 according to the invention comprises at least one rotary sharpening member which is intended to come into contact by pivoting with the cutting wires of the vibrating blade.

[0041] In the example illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the device 2 thus comprises two sharpening strips 4a, 4b which are arranged one above the other and which are mounted on an arm 6 which can pivot around a vertical axis XX.

[0042] More precisely, these two sharpening bands 4a, 4b are mounted, at one end around the same drive shaft 8 to drive it in rotation. around the vertical axis XX, and at the opposite end around a roller 10a, 10b freewheeling around the same vertical axis YY.

[0043] In an embodiment not shown in the figures, the sharpening member consists of one or more sharpening wheels.

[0044] The shaft 8 for driving the sharpening strips 4a, 4b in rotation is fixed and mounted vertically along the axis XX on the cutting head, for example by means of screws 12.

[0045] The device 2 according to the invention also comprises a rotary jack 14 making it possible to pivot the arm 6 carrying the sharpening strips along the vertical axis XX of the drive shaft 8 between a sharpening position (figure 3) in which the sharpening strips 4a, 4b come into contact with one of the cutting wires of the vibrating blade L, and a rest position (figure 2) in which the arm 6 carrying the sharpening strips is angularly spaced from the vibrating blade L.

[0046] More precisely, the rotary cylinder 14 is mounted on a plate 16 secured to the drive shaft 8 of the sharpening belts with its drive shaft 18 which is positioned along a vertical axis ZZ.

[0047] The drive shaft 18 of the rotary jack carries at its free end a disc 20 on which a first toothed wheel 22 is mounted. In the engaged position, this first toothed wheel 22 meshes with a second toothed wheel 24 which is carried by the drive shaft 8 of the sharpening belts and which is centered on the vertical axis XX thereof.

[0048] Thus, when the rotary jack 14 is activated, the first toothed wheel 22 which it carries meshes with the second toothed wheel 24 causing the arm 6 carrying the sharpening strips 4a, 4b to pivot around the vertical axis XX of the drive shaft 8 to allow these sharpening strips to come into contact with one of the cutting wires of the vibrating blade L (figure 3).

[0049] It should be noted that the other cutting edge of the vibrating blade L can also be sharpened by the action of the sharpening bands 4a, 4b by rotating the blade holder around its vertical axis before triggering a pivoting of the arm 6 carrying the sharpening bands.

[0050] Furthermore, the disc 20 carrying the first toothed wheel 22 is capable of being able to slide vertically along the drive shaft 18 of the rotary jack 14 between a low position (figure 1) in which the first toothed wheel meshes with the second toothed wheel, and a raised position (figure 4) in which the first toothed wheel 22 is decoupled from the second toothed wheel 24 (i.e. it no longer meshes with the second toothed wheel).

[0051] When the disc 20 of the rotary cylinder is in the raised position (figure 4), it is then possible for an operator to manually pivot the arm 6 carrying the sharpening bands 4a, 4b around the vertical axis XX so as to put it in a so-called disengaged position (different from the sharpening and rest positions) and in which the sharpening bands are angularly spaced from the vibrating blade towards the outside of the cutting head (see figure 5).

[0052] In this disengaged position, it is thus possible to easily handle the sharpening belts for maintenance operations, and in particular to change them. Thus, in the example illustrated by Figure 5, one of the two sharpening belts (namely the upper belt 4a) has been removed from the arm 6 to be changed.

[0053] The transition from the low position to the raised position of the rotary cylinder disc is carried out manually by an operator. In the absence of intervention by the operator, a spring 26 positioned around the drive shaft 18 of the rotary cylinder 14 makes it possible to maintain the rotary cylinder disc in the low position (i.e. the meshing position).

[0054] Preferably, the first and second toothed wheels 22, 24 each comprise a tooth 22a, 24a forming a key. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, these teeth 22a, 24a forming a key are wider than the other teeth of the wheels. Thus, when the disc of the rotary jack moves from its raised position to its low position, the teeth 22a, 24a forming a key make it possible to correctly angularly position the wheels 22, 24 relative to each other. Of course, other systems forming a keyway are possible.

[0055] Figure 6 represents an alternative embodiment of the device 2' according to the invention.

[0056] This embodiment variant differs from the previous one in that it comprises means for locking the angle formed between the disc 20 of the rotary jack and the drive shaft 8 of the sharpening strips. More precisely, the plate 16 secured to the drive shaft 8 of the sharpening strips carries a rod 28 extending vertically downwards, and the first toothed wheel 22 is provided with a bore 30 capable of being traversed by the rod 28 when the disc 20 of the rotary jack is moved into its raised position.

[0057] In this way, the sharpening member of the device 2' can only be disengaged when the disc 20 of the rotary jack is in an angular position relative to the drive shaft 8 allowing the rod 28 to pass through the bore 30 formed in the first toothed wheel 22.

[0058] Still in this variant embodiment, the device 2' also comprises a clutch stop 32 making it easier to engage the sharpening member with the rotary cylinder.

[0059] More precisely, the second toothed wheel 24 carried by the drive shaft 8 of the sharpening strips comprises, at its tooth 24a forming a key, a lug 34 extending vertically upwards and serving as a vertical guide for the tooth 22a forming a key of the first toothed wheel 22 when the latter is lowered to engage the second toothed wheel.

Claims

Claims

1. Disengageable device (2; 2') for sharpening a vibrating blade (L) of a cutting head (T) for a cutting machine, comprising: - at least one rotary sharpening member (4a, 4b) intended to come into contact with at least one cutting edge of a vibrating blade of the cutting head; - a fixed drive shaft (8) for rotating the sharpening member having an axis (XX) which is mounted vertically on the cutting head; - a rotary cylinder (14) for pivoting the sharpening member along the vertical axis (XX) of the drive shaft (8) between a sharpening position in which the sharpening member comes into contact with a cutting edge of the vibrating blade (L), and a rest position in which the sharpening member is angularly spaced from the vibrating blade; and - means (18, 20) for disengaging the sharpening member to decouple it from the rotary cylinder so as to allow the sharpening member to pivot into a disengaged position different from the sharpening and rest positions and in which the sharpening member is angularly spaced from the vibrating blade towards the outside of the cutting head.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which the rotary cylinder (14) is coupled to a first toothed wheel (22) meshing with a second toothed wheel (24) carried by the drive shaft (8) of the sharpening member and centered on the vertical axis (XX) thereof.

3. Device according to claim 2, in which the first toothed wheel (22) is capable of being manually decoupled from the second toothed wheel (24) in order to disengage the sharpening member from the rotary cylinder.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first toothed wheel (22) is mounted on a disc (20) which can slide vertically along a drive shaft (18) of the rotary cylinder (14) between a low position in which it meshes with the second toothed wheel (24) and a raised position in which it is decoupled from the second toothed wheel.

5. Device according to claim 4, in which the disc (20) is held in its low position by a spring (26) centered on the drive shaft (18) of the rotary cylinder (14).

6. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the first and second toothed wheels (22, 24) each comprise a tooth (22a, 24a) forming a key.

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sharpening member comprises at least one sharpening strip (4a, 4b) mounted between the drive shaft (8) of the sharpening member and a roller (10a, 10b).

8. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sharpening member comprises at least one sharpening wheel driven in rotation by the drive shaft of the sharpening member.

9. Device (2') according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising means (28, 30) for locking the angle formed between the rotary cylinder (20) and the drive shaft (8) of the sharpening member.

10. Device (2') according to any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a clutch stop (32) making it possible to facilitate the clutching of the sharpening member with the rotary cylinder.

11. Cutting head (T) for a cutting machine comprising a vibrating blade (L) capable of being vibrated in a vertical direction to cut a stack of plies of a flexible material, and a disengageable device (2; 2') according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for sharpening the vibrating blade.

12. Cutting machine comprising a cutting head (T) according to claim 11.

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